Las Vegas Sun

May 17, 2024

Auf Wiedersehen Oktoberfest: Munich beer fest a success

Oktoberfest Munich

Matthias Schrader / AP

In this Oct. 7, 2018, file photo young women lift glasses of beer during the 185th ‘Oktoberfest’ beer festival in Munich, Germany.

BERLIN — More than 6 million visitors, 7.5 million liters of beer, 124 rotisserie oxen and Bill Clinton in lederhosen; another Oktoberfest in Munich has come and gone.

Festival organizers say good fall weather contributed to the fact that 100,000 more people visited this year over last: in all, 6.3 million from about 70 countries. That's despite the fact this year's Oktoberfest, which ended Sunday, was only 16 days long — two days fewer than 2017.

Visitors included former U.S. President Clinton and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who showed up Friday night — he in traditional Bavarian garb and she in a pantsuit.

Security guards confiscated 101,000 liter-size beer mugs from sticky-fingered guests looking for a souvenir and Munich authorities cleaned up 95 tons of garbage during the festival.